Medicines and Antibiotics, Which to carry?
 

I am putting together a small pouch with things like Dioralyte and Imodium to take with me on an 8 week trip to SE Asia in Dec. What else would be good? What do you swear by? What do you carry? :helpsmilie:
Thanks
Wayne

Bandages, plasters and some antibiotics.

I have a First Aid Kit...I am talking about Pills and Potions
What Kind, and what used for
Wayne

If you go and see your doc, he/she should be able will prescribe you some broad spectrum antibiotics for your trip. (mine was happy to)

Then you want ibuprofen and paracetamol and maybe some co-codamol for pain relief.

Something to make you go and something to make you stop and something to re hydrate with.

The little saline bottles that you just break the top off are good for washing shit out of wounds and eyes. Keep a couple handy

Take care of pain, gi issues and infections with the strongest of those that you can take. Cipro, Immodium & Vicodin are my choices when in suspect areas.

Sleep well drive safe a medicine without pills

I've had serious tooth issues on the road before, so I have a prescribed by my dentist small supply of hydrocodone just in case. Nothing like serious tooth pain to incapacitate you. If you control the pain you can get to help.


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Medicines and Antibiotics, Which to carry?
 

Ciprofloxacin - Metronidazole - Co-amoxiclav - between these they will cover explosive & normal Diarrhoea or stomach upsets, general antibiotic, skin infections etc. Paracetamol and ibuprofen can be taken together for extreme pain. I always carry plenty in case I have a bad off. I used them once in Wales and boy was I glad I had both!! Also take anti histamines.

Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

I always take:

Doxycycline: for general infections. Works orally too.

Ciprofloxacine: Great for stomach bugs, diarrhoea etc.

Savlon Iodine spray (brilliant): Great for cuts, rashes, bites.

Valium: Great for when you NEED to sleep on a long haul flight or overnight sleeper bus etc. Also a great muscle relaxant and sleep aid if you strain youself (Back, neck etc).. Not to be taken on whim though. Addictive I hear.

Immodium: For obvious reasons.

Great info, Thx Guys

Wayne

Doxycycline can also be used as an anti malarial. One of the side effects can be sensitivity to sunlight which a lot of people suffer with. No fun in Africa or somewhere hot. :-)

Yep, Savlon, sudocreme (has lots of uses, even sun burn, came in very handy with Doxy bad reaction).

Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

I think it is best to avoid anti-biotics for stomach bugs or diarrhea unless it is extreme or unless you have an actual parasite that will probably not leave on its own accord i.e. the India backpackers favourite - Giardia. Taking powerful anti-biotics kills everything. It really should be a last resort. Likewise, Immodium can cause problems as it undermines your bodies natural defenses, another last resort then.

Exercising caution when choosing places to dine out and implementing some sort of decent water filtration would be wise, as prevention is always the best cure. Also, the worldwide overuse of anti-biotics undermining their effectiveness. I also feel if I can get through a bout of the runs without them that I`m taking one for the team :)

As for Valium, that is a really useful drug to have around but yes I can attest to it being highly addictive. It is annoying that they are restricted in Europe, for as Ted says, they are fantastic for long-haul flights, and turn an otherwise cramped 14 hour flight into a pretty good party, especially combined with two, three, four or five plus complimentary gin and tonics - after which I find everything makes perfect sense :innocent:

Iodine liquid is the best anti-septic in my experience, especially for the tropics where cream-based treatments are ineffective. Plus you can purify water with it - great stuff! Only problem is that is it quite hard to find, definitely stock up before you leave.

:thumbup1:

on a trip to africa ,had all the antibiotics ,stomach cures
what I forgot was some medicated eyedrops.

was in the central kalahari with some sort of eye infection.
was ready to head for gabarone hospital,when a kindly south african lady
gave me some eye drops .three days later good as new.

good luck
kp

You don't need to take the pharmacy with you as most of what you take from the UK is available everywhere in the world and a lot cheaper.

Not really. In some places they donw even have new needles so if you dont bring your own they use the ons from the patient before:

http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/sma...klinik_018.jpg
Visiting the worst clinic ever in Cambodia

Indeed...

And the drugs are often un-labeled, in Arabic, out of date etc etc. It can be a lottery. Especially outside of major cities.

Beware though. Some pills that are prescription in Europe can land you in jail in others. Opiate based drugs etc. Take them to the UAE and you can end up in jail (So I'm told)..

Well if that is the case then one should take some needles, blood, forceps, surgical blades and other bits from the surgery. Let's not move away from the pharmacy to the surgery. You only need basic surgical tools such as scissors.
You can take the A&E with you, but if you have an accident you might not be awake to tell them where your clean needles are.

But that is part of the risk of going on such an adventure, otherwise let's stay home where you get help from the air ambulance.

All true, of course. On the other hand, I've often needed the antibiotics, sterilizing pads, anti-parasitics, and painkillers I routinely carry. I've occasionally needed the sterile needles I carry in the same kit. I'll keep on carrying them. I've stopped bringing other stuff that I never seemed to use, and for which locally-available substitutes are readily available--splints, certain forms of bandages and tape, etc.

I try to make a habit of not crashing, which saves me the trouble of trying to stay awake long enough to explain where I keep the spare needles. It might play out differently some day, but so far....

best,

Mark

How is taking out of date, non-effective or incorrectly prescribed medication for a septic wound or nasty parasitic infection 'Part of the adventure'.. ???

It's just stupid for the sake of trying to sound 'hardcore'. Grow an adventure beard instead if it makes you feel better.

If you ever get Guardia, Malaria, etc or have a rat bite go septic in the jungle, I wonder what you'd really choose if given the choice between the correct and tested medication or some untrained bloke's tin shack Pharmacy in the congo selling some random pills which may or may not work. Or even make you sicker.

Tropical diseases and septic wounds are no adventure. They ruin your trip, can ruin your wallet and leave you regretting it for the rest of your life.

I suppose you don't need travel insurance too. Because that's hardly being adventurous either. Just drag yourself home. Crawling on your elbows with a shattered spine. Don't forget to capture that on your GoPro.

"I don't need no god dam ambulance... That's not an adventure. Get those scissors away from me... NOOOOO DON'T SHAVE OFF MY ADVENTURE BEARD"


Excuse my sarcasm.. I don't carry a mobile hospital. Just the basics to keep the trip on track.. Just trying to make a point. bier

Made me chuckle

Wayne

OK OK you made your point. But this bit is definitely out of a movie:

((Just drag yourself home. Crawling on your elbows with a shattered spine)).

As you said it is like a lottery. All I meant is one should take some medications and some emergency bits and pieces and take a lucky dip...and who knows may be will hit the jackpot and come back home safe with nice memories.
I wouldn't say take out of date/incorrectly prescribed medication...this is just being plain stupid. And for someone contributed over 4400 posts you should understand what's meant!!!

And yes getting sceptic wounds and nasty parasitic infections is PART OF THE PACKAGE. How getting fixed is something else.
Now here is a fact : third world countries are dirty and full of diseases and the health care is very poor....and one can never fully prepare for every emergency, but I don't think someone doing a round Africa or Eastern Asia trip will be faced away by unlabelled or out of date medicines. Just have some basic stuff and hit the road....and that is HARDCORE.

I have no GoPro I have a Drift.
I always had travel insurance.
I hate beard.
and......Please stop taking the mickey.

Originally Posted by schenkel View Post
But that is part of the risk of going on such an adventure, otherwise let's stay home where you get help from the air ambulance.
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
How is taking out of date, non-effective or incorrectly prescribed medication for a septic wound or nasty parasitic infection 'Part of the adventure'.. ???


Just a little correction here for those who couldn't read well I originally said part of the risk not part of the adventure.

Ha Ted, great post - reminds me of that one not so long ago where someone said that he doesn't carry spare tires through Africa, but makes them himself by combining shreds of old tires which he finds by the roadside.

It is actually a really good point, i.e. that it is amazing that no matter what 'scene' one 'gets into', one always finds that there is always someone willy waving somewhere. My adventure's bigger than yours mate, etc!

:offtopic: and lets move on please.

Impossible.....

Probably a good idea. :thumbup1:

Well, I didn't say it's like a lottery. Maybe Ted feels that way, but I don't. I believe I get to stack the odds in my favor in various ways, and to the extent that it doesn't interfere with my trip I'm definitely going to do so.

And while you may believe that the proverbial "someone" won't face fake, adulterated or mis-handled medicines, I've had exactly that experience--counterfeit or expired anti parasitic meds purchased in India when I was dangerously weak from giardia. Neglect to bring your nice, European or American metronidazole to south Asia or Africa and you might have that experience, too.

Or maybe not; maybe you'll go into a Melanesian pharmacy looking for antibiotics because you see red streaks running up your legs following a minor foot wound....and notice that the antibiotics are stored in a giant, dusty, bulk bottle with a long-faded label, on a top shelf in a humid, non-airconditioned room where the ambient temps approach 100F/40C degrees. That's what happened to me in Papua long ago, and I've carried fresh antibiotics ever since.

Or you'll visit a friend in the malaria ward in a West African hospital and see the nurses re-using needles--Grand Bassam, December 2000. Or.....(insert your worst-case healthcare nightmare here).

I'm not telling you what you should bring on whatever your style of preferred adventure. I *am* telling you I've got good reasons for carrying exactly the kit I carry. You might be in a position to learn from me, and I from you.

best,

Mark

And anyway, if anyone else has any more ideas on what to carry when out and about feel free to post :mchappy::rofl:

Wayne

I said FACED AWAY which means turned away!!!!

For stomach problems/lose stools you can use Imodum. Remember it wont cure anything - just slow down your intestins. But comes in handy now and then while on the road.

For real gastointestinal infections, with fever general ill feeling I have always had sucsess with Ciproxin. So I recommend to carry 10-20 tablets of that. Works on a lot if fifferent bacterias. Metronidazole is also an antibiotic that are good for many of the bugs that creates stomach problems.
Amoxicillin is often an effective good antibiotich for skin and wound infections.

Personally I carry only Ciproxin of antibiotics.

Remember for any infection one get - if following the book - one should take a sample of the problematic area and grow the bacteria and find out what kind of bacteria that is present and then decide what antibiotic that effective. But of course this impossible 1000 km and two bordercrossings from the nearest decent hospital.

Scratches and small wounds often get infected in the tropics such as southeast asia. The bacterias tend to be more agressive and potent there compared to Europe and N. America. So be careful with scratches and wounds. Clean them carefully with a decent antiseptic fluid and carry also some antibiotic cream and or Iodine and some band aid and small bandages.

Painkillers as Paracetamol and ibuprofen also comes in handy if any pain problem.

All the above mentioned can be bought in most famacies in Chiang Mai without prescription so theres no need to bring them from UK..... ;-)
And there are literary a farmacy on every corner there.

I did not bring a thing except painkillers... busted my knee with a pretty deep cut on a rock when jumping into the water. 3 days later... massive green ooze all over the place and hurts like ****. A late night pharmacy and bought everything, some sterile needles to make a few holes for pressure relieve, iodine, skin cream, bandages and everything sterile. Now 3 weeks in and it still is not completely OK. And turns out I bump my knee quite often getting into buses and such. Now I carry a stack of all these.. knowing I will probably need them again soon.

Aside: amazed on how quick a small wound (from a pimple of just a scratch) gets infected in the jungle... really annoying!

Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and Glory.

Yeas you got the point exactly there. Even a small little scratch or skin wound that one normally wouldt pay no attention to at all back home in Europe can develope into a serious infection in the tropics. So one need to be careful about that.

There is one more mandatory thing one need carry down here and that is of course mosqito repellant. Dont let those buggers ruin a night of sleep and dont get infected with malaria and dengue. Dengue fever seem to be spreading more and more down here.
The dengue carrying mosquito is operating in daylight hours and can be revognised by some white stripes on the body.

Went out yesterday and got most of my stuff,
Got Imodium etc but when I went to the Pharmacy counter in Tesco i was told Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacine were prescription only, don't think i will be getting any of that, aint got time to get a prescription doh

Wayne

Got my Malaria tabs, is there anything apart from Mozzie Repelant which will fight Dengue Fever?

Wayne

If you find yourself in a position where you have to take anti B's to get rid of a nasty problem, you really ought to take a high potency pro biotic supplement afterwards, to get the good bacteria working properly again. If you have a slightly weak or surpressed immune system, perhaps through taking prescription medication regularly, then it is all the more important. You may not be able to find ''activia'' type products like yoghurts and drinks where you are, so a small pack of something off the shelf at most supermarkets/ pharmacies/ health food shops is ideal to stuff in your kit somewhere.

Broad spectrum medication is all very well, but you really should see your GP to get the right ones, as you may have some medcial issues or compatibility problems. I, for example can't take Ciprox it makes me swell up.

And now for something completely different, as it's not a medication, but works a treat, tastes good and isn't addictive or cost a fortune. TEA. Some forms of tea help with UTI's ( Urinary tract infections). Having an infection is both debilitating and dangerous for the kidneys. Best tea on the market to help keep things as they should be is Buchu leaf Rooibos tea. The Buchu leaf is well known amongst the natives in South Africa specifically for this purpose. I suffered badly & regularly with UTI's after kidney stones, and heard about this from a friend in SA. I've been drinking two cups a day for over two years now, and haven't had a single issue. My French GP is amazed and a convert! I never travel without with a box of bags. Available from most good health food shops).

Relax Wayne. As I wrote yesterday you can most medication without subscription in any farmacy in Thailand......at least those antibiotics mentioned.

The only thing that prevent Dengue is to not get bitten by the Dengue carrying mosqito.

And Dengue fever can not be directly cured, just be given symptomatically treatment. Although most people who have Dengue only got mild cold/flu like symptoms, it can get become serious.

But dont get paranoid. Use mosqito repellant after sunset and or consider wearing long sleaved shirts/sweaters and trousers after sunset. And talk to the local people about the local conditions. Theres really nothing much else to do about it.

Do enjoy your stay and travel...

Spouse and I are planning on two or three weeks in Thailand January 2016. I take it that instead of trying to talk my local Dr into Rx'ing stuff for the trip (just in case) I can pick up some supplies in Bangkok before we head north?

That would make things much easier.

Dee

Is there a problem Thailand of counterfeit drugs like there is in Africa?



Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

I have looked in the Pharmacies in Thailand and they have loads of things you have heard off, Paracetamol, cold mixtures and other painkillers also think i found some imodium but cant remember where, and shelves of stuff I have not :rofl:

Wayne

Usually my travel health kit contains antidiarrheal medication like bismuth subsalicylate, antihistamine, anti-motion sickness medication, acetaminophen, aspirin, cough drops, antifungal and antibacterial ointments and 1% hydrocortisone cream. And I store everything in special containers bought at https://www.walmart.com/browse/healt...979341_6338546 https://allinpackaging.co.uk/containers/

have a safe trip :palm:

Not sure if this is what you are talking about, but I have a small med bag, and in that bag I have one of those cheap 7 day pill boxes with:

Advil, Aspirin, Benadryl, Imodium A-D, Tums, Tylenol, Cough Drops

over the years it has been used a lot by a lot of people.

In the whole Kit:
Band-Aids, Medical Wrap, Medical Tape, Eye Drops, Tiger Balm, Hand Cleaner, Sunscreen, Pepto-Bismal, Monkey Butt Powder, Hand Lotion, Lip Balm (chapstick stuff), pill box with stuff above.

It all fits in a Walmart school pencil bag.

Thank you all guys for the useful information. Now my first aid kit is full of medical stuff.

Think everything else has been mentioned here, but just a word of caution for antibiotics: do not use it intermittently. Take it as recommended, and do so until the last day of the recommendation. In the case of counterfeit drugs, just make sure to stick with legit pharmacies, an online search should help you with that.